Chapter 23: The Uzumaki Woman of Grass Country
A B-rank mission involved direct ninja combat, so even Kaminari Kaede put away his usual relaxed demeanor and solemnly imparted his experience to Hyuga Mirai and the two others.
Undertaking a B-rank mission at just over eight years old was certainly pushing them, but all three had strong talents, and they had completed many C-rank missions as preparation. Therefore, when accepting the B-rank mission, Kaminari Kaede deliberated carefully before making his decision.
Their squad's mission was to patrol four intelligence gathering outposts set up by the Land of Fire in Grass Country. According to reports from the ninjas stationed there, they had discovered signs of Stone Ninja activity.
The Uzumaki Maple Squad's mission was to gather information on the Stone Ninja's movements while patrolling the outposts.
It was precisely because the Uzumaki Maple Squad included Hyuga Mirai and Hyuga Kiyomi, both with Byakugan Cell Lineage, that the Third Hokage assigned this mission to the Uzumaki Maple Squad.
After accepting the mission at the Hokage Building, the group returned with serious expressions to pack their belongings, then gathered at the main gate of Konoha Village.
As Jonin, they should possess this level of awareness.
After leaving Konoha Village, the four quickly traveled, maintaining high speed while conserving stamina. Kaminari Kaede had taught them all of this.
However, as Hyuga Mirai traveled, he thought about how incredibly distorted the Ninja World's technology was.
There were clearly trains, and many utility poles lined the roads outside the village, so why wasn't transportation developed properly? On the contrary, many merchants still used horse-drawn carts to transport goods, which was simply absurd.
Regarding this, Hyuga Mirai had also complained to Hyuga Kiyomi, but he received the reply, 'Ninjas don't need such things, do they? Our travel speed should be faster than a train.'
With different perspectives, communication naturally couldn't continue, so the topic stopped there.
Even when traveling, the Uzumaki Maple Squad maintained a formation.
Hyuga Mirai and Kurenai Yuhi were positioned at the rear on both sides. Hyuga Kiyomi's Byakugan had a stronger long-range vision than Hyuga Mirai's, so she led the way. Kaminari Kaede was in the center of the squad, ready to provide support in any direction.
In just a few days, the four arrived in Grass Country.
Before entering Grass Country, Kaminari Kaede had Hyuga Mirai and the two others disguise themselves, otherwise, their two Byakugan were too famous.
After making preparations, Kaminari Kaede and the four then infiltrated Grass Country in batches; they didn't separate too far, remaining within the visible range of a signal flare.
Upon reaching the agreed-upon location, Kaminari Kaede began to take out a map and assign tasks.
"These are our intelligence gathering points set up in Grass Country. According to the last report, it has been six days since Stone Ninja were discovered there; so we must first ensure the safety of the personnel at the intelligence gathering points, and then investigate the traces of the Stone Ninja. The secret codes have already been given to you."
"Split into two groups: Hyuga Kiyomi and I will be one group, and Hyuga Mirai and Kurenai Yuhi will be the other."
Hyuga Kiyomi frowned slightly upon hearing the grouping, but to track the Stone Ninja, the two Byakugan had to be separated, so even though she was unhappy, she did not voice any opposition.
After all, this was a mission.
"Here, and this, we only need to confirm if there are Stone Ninja in this area; if you find enemies, immediately withdraw and notify the other group, understood?"
When Kaminari Kaede said the last sentence, his gaze was fixed on Hyuga Mirai.
Among the three, the only one he favored was Hyuga Mirai, who knew when to advance and retreat and paid attention to details. Therefore, this grouping also considered his intentions. If he could complete the mission, then after some time, Kaminari Kaede would recommend Hyuga Mirai for the Chunin examination.
"Understood, Captain!"
Hyuga Mirai solemnly agreed, then confirmed the time, and the four immediately separated.
Since they could encounter hostile ninjas at any time, Kurenai Yuhi had lost her usual relaxed demeanor.
This was different from C-rank missions; ninja combat could break out at any time, and both of them were only Genin from Konoha.
"Don't be nervous, Kurenai, we're just here to gather intelligence, so combat may not necessarily happen."
Noticing Kurenai Yuhi's nervousness, Hyuga Mirai leaned in and whispered words of comfort.
With Hyuga Mirai's comfort, Kurenai Yuhi felt much better; otherwise, her nervous expression would have been too easy to recognize.
In crowded areas, Hyuga Mirai and Kurenai Yuhi used transformation jutsu to blend in; Hyuga Mirai had performed in front of the main family for four years, so his acting skills were naturally top-notch. Disguised as a civilian from Grass Country, no one could recognize him.
"Mirai-kun, why are we here?"
Kurenai Yuhi whispered, confused. This small town in Grass Country was not their target area, and coming here was already a bit off-mission.
"It's safer to approach the outpost slowly from this direction, and it's unlikely that Stone Ninja would pass through Konoha's intelligence gathering points. If they need to resupply, then the nearby small towns would be their choice."
As Hyuga Mirai spoke, he suddenly frowned. He felt a gaze fixed on him.
So he reached out and put his arm around Kurenai Yuhi, pretending to casually pull back half of his head, using Kurenai Yuhi's cheek as a cover.
"Mi-Mirai-kun?"
It was too close. Kurenai Yuhi's cheeks instantly flushed. She could even feel Hyuga Mirai's breath; of course, this was Kurenai Yuhi's illusion. Hyuga Mirai could control his breathing so well that even when very close, it couldn't be felt, so Kurenai Yuhi naturally couldn't either.
"Act natural, someone is watching me, I need to activate my Byakugan."
Hyuga Mirai whispered, then formed hand seals with his hands in his sleeves, and the veins on his cheeks under his hat brim bulged; except for a blind spot behind him, everything within a 2.5-kilometer radius was within Hyuga Mirai's vision.
"Who is she!? How does she have such a massive amount of Chakra!"
Hyuga Mirai immediately saw the woman behind him, whose Chakra was almost a hundred times more than Kaminari Kaede's.
Hyuga Mirai closed his Byakugan less than a minute after activating it; maintaining the Byakugan for too long might attract unwanted attention.
However, he still found the person who had been secretly watching him.
Hyuga Mirai casually turned his head and immediately met that gaze.
Ragged clothes, a dirty face, but that head of red hair was very striking.
Combined with the terrifying amount of Chakra observed by the Byakugan, the words Uzumaki Clan immediately appeared in Hyuga Mirai's mind.
The beggar-like woman also saw Hyuga Mirai's gaze. Like a startled squirrel, she instantly lowered her head.
"Mirai-kun, did you find anything?"
Kurenai Yuhi asked in a low voice. Ever since Hyuga Mirai said someone was watching him, Kurenai Yuhi had been gripping a Kunai, ready to strike at any moment.
"It might have been my imagination, let's continue the mission."
Hyuga Mirai briefly glanced at the Uzumaki woman. She had been constantly looking at him, so she must have also noticed his and Kurenai Yuhi's transformation jutsu.
Grass Country, Uzumaki Clan...
Hyuga Mirai immediately thought of Vortex Karin's mother. Grass Country wasn't large, so encountering her here wasn't entirely unexpected.
This ruled out the possibility of her being a Stone Ninja or Grass Ninja. Judging by the dirty appearance of the Uzumaki woman, she probably hadn't joined Grass Country yet; however, there was too much grime on her face for Hyuga Mirai to discern her age.
If there's an opportunity, maybe he can come back to check after the mission is over.
Vote please!